Everything About Me Is A Lie
by Peyt fan 4ever
Summary: Liz Scott is fresh out of Quantico on her new job as an FBI profiler when her boyfriend Agent Donald Ressler comes barging in stating she needs to come with him and is lead to a blacksite where her life is turned upside down when the Concierge of Crime that Don has been tracking refuses to talk to anyone other than her. AU. Keensler. Give it a shot!
1. Chapter 1

The sound of the alarm going off is what woke 24-year-old Elizabeth Scott that morning. She was just about to reach out for it when she felt her boyfriends strong arm extending from the blanket, reaching over her, and slamming the snooze button down stopping the obnoxious beeping.

She felt him move behind her and before she knew what was happening he had pulled her to him and pinned her back to the bed. She stared up into his blue eyes and watched as he smirked at her before planting a loving kiss on her lips, deepening it immediately. "Good morning to you too." She giggled, entertained by his antics.

"Mhm." He murmured before his lips began an assault on her neck. She let out a uncharacteristic giggle that quickly turned into a moan as his hips pushed into hers.

"Babe..." She murmured as a warning.

"Hmm?" He continued his assault on her neck and chest, and began running his hands up her side.

"You're going to make me late for my first day!" She laughed, although they both knew she wasn't trying very hard to stop him.

"Donnie!" She laughed sweetly.

He groaned as he lifted his head to meet hers. She ran her hands through his messy blonde hair.

Donald Ressler, or Donnie as Lizzie, (and only Lizzie) was allowed to call him; and Elizabeth Scott, or Lizzie as Donnie, (and only Donnie (and her father), were allowed to call her, had been together for two and a half years.

They met when Liz was in her first year at the Academy and Don had just graduated. If someone had told Liz two and a half years ago that her and Donnie would be living together in their own little house, on her first day as a FBI profiler, she would have laughed at them. There friends joked to them that they were going to be the FBI power couple, a unstoppable force once Lizzie got her bearings at this new job, but the two of them knew that probably wouldn't happen.

In fact they were more than likely never going to work together, but they were okay with that. They had decided that it would be easier to stay professional that way, and if they were every for any reason working together than they would be very professional and hope no one could tell they were an item.

Liz was stationed at the D.C. office. She had gotten herself a nice little office job there, while Don was running lead on a high-profile case that Liz knew nothing about. She knew that he worked some crazy hours and went where ever leads to this case would take him. He was a field agent, and the FBI poster boy field agent as she would joke with him. The most Liz knew about his job was that he didn't work at the field office like she was going to be, and that it was very demanding. Enough so that he missed a few dinners with Liz here and there.

"I'll go start the coffee pot." Don grumbled as he started to roll off of her, but it was Liz's turn to grab him and pull him back to her. Planting a deep kiss on his lips. "I love you." She whispered with so much conviction he swore his heart stopped.

It was the little things she did like that, that made him really stop and look at her. She had the capability to make him feel like a little school girl, which is something he really hated, but loved all the same.

She made him want to roll over and grab that little black velvet box that he has had hiding in the bottom of his bedside drawer for the past three months waiting for the perfect moment and just drop down on one knee. She was perfect and after two and a half years and three months of hiding that ring she made it really hard to keep hiding it.

"I love you too, Lizzie." He decided on instead as he kissed her hairline and rolled off of her.

He told himself that box and the future he so wanted with her would have to wait. He wanted her to get comfortable in this new job before he through something on her like planning a wedding. And he really wanted his proposal to be perfect, because she of all people in this world deserved it.

#BLACKLIST#

Liz was enjoying her first day so far. She had met her boss, and been shown to her office, which she was very excited about. She never expected to get this job right out of Quantico and was proud of herself for finishing top of her class and climbing up in the FBI world so quickly. She really didn't think it could get any better.

She had the perfect man, and what she hoped would be the perfect job for her. She was pretty sure that nothing could ruin this day for her.

She was standing in the middle of a large room surrounded by her colleagues as one of her coworkers gave a presentation when that all changed.

The doors were thrown open to the room startling its occupants.

"Special Agent Scott." Someone's voice boomed out through the crowded room.

Liz wondered if there was another Agent Scott here, it surely couldn't be her, she had just started, everyone was staring at the doors still as a voice that Liz knew all to well boomed out. "Special Agent Elizabeth Scott?!" Everyone in the room looked around, she made her way to the doors through the crowd of people and all eyes began to land on her.

When she was finally able to see the door she thought all of this must have been a joke as she saw Donnie standing there with two heavily armed guards right beside him and more behind. She stood frozen when she seen him there.

"Special Agent Donald Ressler," Why was he flashing his badge at her? Why was he introducing himself now? "I'm going to need you to come with me." He said and Liz watched as he looked down to the floor, not being able to make eye contact with her.

What in the hell was happening?

She mutely followed him as he turned and started walking away and the guards walked up to her and followed her out closely behind.

"What in the hell is happening?" She whispered to Don when she caught up to him.

He looked at her quickly then stared ahead again. "It will all be explained later." He murmured in a voice Liz didn't recognize.

He opened the back door for her to a black SUV and shut it after her not giving her a look once and he climbed into the passenger seat.

"Where are we going?" She questioned. Startled by the other 5 SUV's that had been waiting outside for them. He didn't answer as a guard got in and started driving off.

#BLACKLIST#

"What is this place?" Liz whispered as they finally stopped in some run down building and she got out following Donnie to an elevator with two guards close behind.

"Metro Sorting Facility, US Postal Service," Donnie said his first words to her since asking her to come with him over an hour ago. "It's been abandoned and up for demo twelve years ago, but we acquired it for covert operations."

"So we are at a black site?" She questioned him as they stepped into the elevator, still wondering what the hell she was doing here.

"For sentimental reasons, we call it the post office." Don replied smirking slightly but never looking at her, which was starting to piss her off. No matter how professional they may need to be he could still at least treat like a human being.

Liz used this opportunity while they were alone in the elevator to ask a question she was sure needed to be addressed before she went into whatever this situation was blind.

"Donnie, do uh... does anyone here know about, us?" She whispered so quietly he was surprised he heard her.

He looked at her for the first time and saw the fear in her eyes and just wanted to pull her to him and shield her from what ever was going to come next from all of this. "Some of them." He whispered back, then turned forward not looking at her again, "Everything is going to be okay, Lizzie." He whispered quietly, hoping to put her at ease a little, before going back to his tough persona as the elevator came to a stop and he ushered her out and down a hallway.

She was sat down on the other side of a large desk. She seen Donnie sitting behind her off to the side with another guard.

"Agent Scott, Good Morning. I'm Assistant Director Harold Cooper of Counter Terrorism." A tall darker skinned man stuck his hand out with a fairly calming smile playing on his lips. She stood and shook his hand.

"Of course, sir, I know who are sir." She said nervously as she shook his hand than was gestured by him to take her seat. She sat and her one hand found the scar on her opposite wrist and began to rub it nervously.

"Tell me, Agent Scott, have you ever heard of a man by the name Raymond Reddington?" He said getting right to the point.

"No, I, uh, don't believe so sir." She said honestly, trying to thing of any association with the name and coming up blank.

She watched as his eyes flickered to Donnie behind her and she wondered once again what the hell was going on.

"Raymond Reddington is number 4 on the FBI's most wanted list Agent Scott." Okay, what did this have to do with her? "About 2 hours ago he walked into the FBI headquarters and turned himself in with information about a criminal that he wants to help us catch." Cooper explained.

"That's... wow." Liz took a deep breath, not understanding what anyone this was leading too. "Sir, with all due respect, what does this have to do with me?" She questioned.

"Reddington has one condition with helping us with this case."

"Okay?"

"He will only speak with you, Agent Scott." Cooper said.

Her eyes grew wide."Me?" She noticed her voice had gotten higher and wondered if they had to. "Why me? How... How does he even know who I am?" She questioned on edge.

"We were hoping you could help explain that part to us as well." Copper said giving her a questioning glance.

"I have no idea sir, I've never heard of the man, let alone had any association with him to my knowledge."

"It says here you are specialized in profiling." He stated.

"Yes sir, today is actually my first day at headquarters." She smiled and the proud smile Ressler tried to keep off his face did not go unnoticed by Cooper.

"Congratulations. So Agent Scott, profile yourself for me if you will. Who is Elizabeth Scott?"

Liz was taken aback by the question. "E, Excuse me, sir?"

"Profile Elizabeth Scott."

"Oh uh, of course. Uhm, well I'm 24 years old, fresh out of Quantico, where I finished top of my class..."

"Read your file." He said, holding up the file itself.

"Of course, uhh.." She took a deep breath. "My classmates called me Sir. They thought I was uhm, a bitch. Like most kids that have troubled up bringing I can display narcissistic behavior; I can be withdrawn, disconnected. I delude myself with the idea that I can rewrite my own past by having kids of my own one day and getting married to..." She quickly remembered Donnie was there and felt her cheeks turn pink, "Uhm, by getting married." She finished.

"So why do you think Reddington turned himself in today? Why do you think he wants to talk only with you?"

"I don't know sir. It's not a special day at all, no birthday, anniversary." She considered the next part of his question. "I'm sure it's because of how young I am, he assumes he can take advantage of my youth and inexperience."

"And?"

"And, if that's the reason, he obviously does not know me very well at all." She said coolly. Which must've been the right thing to say because she was later being escorted to a control room with Cooper and Donnie behind her where she could see the man of the hour sitting in a holding box.

She was being briefed on Reddington's history with the Navy and everything else about the case with Ramani when someone interjected, "Agent Scott there is one more thing you should know." This came from Donnie and Liz turned to him.

"I've been running lead on Reddington's case for 3 years." Liz stopped. Could this be why he wanted to talk to her? Did he know that Don was lead of his case, did he know Don and Liz were together and was using her for him. "No one thought to say that before?" She questioned incredulously to him and Copper. To her that information answered all the questions as to why he wanted her.

Copper was the one to speak. "Are you saying that Reddington could be using you because of your involvement with Agent Ressler?"

"It makes sense." Liz shrugged. "I'll know more after talking with him I guess." She looked to them then nodded to the guard who opened the door for her. She ascended the stairs and jumped slightly as the box surrounding Reddington began to beep loudly as it opened.

His eyes peeked open and he saw her approaching him, a smirk began to play on his lips.

"Agent Scott, what a pleasure." He smiled.

**Let me know how you liked it, and whether I should continue or leave it as is! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**I am so immensely overwhelmed by all of the amazing support this story has gotten so far. I'm really enjoying writing it and hope you are enjoying reading just as much as I do writing! Sorry for the wait, but this is a pretty long chapter to make up for that. Thank you again for everyone that reviewed, followed, and favorited, and to all those that have viewed silently.**

Disclaimer: _I don't own any part of the Blacklist, as much as I would love to own my own Ressler, I do not and can not take any credit from the show and it's wonderful actors. _

Donald Ressler could remember very few times that he felt vulnerable, stripped of what he had, and left out for all to see. He could only recall 4 at the moment, and they all revolved around Liz. 1. The first time he told Liz that he loved her. 2. The day he asked Liz to move in with him. 3. The day he bought her engagement ring that was still safely tucked away in his bedside table. And 4. Right now, as he watched Lizzie making here way up to what he considered the most dangerous criminal he knew of.

She sat down and crossed her legs. She shrugged a little as she clasped her hands together and began to rub her scar. "Well, I'm here."

He laughed, then sobered. "You got rid of your highlights." He stated and she tensed as her eyes turned colder than they were before. "You look much less Baltimore." He mused.

"How did you..." She quickly shook it off, that wasn't important right now. "Tell me about Zamani." She said instead.

"How is Nebraska? Do you get home much?" She tensed again. What the hell was he doing? "I haven't been home in years." He continued.

"Why me? What is it about me you need?" She said angrily, then calmed when she realized he was just trying to get a rise out of her. "It's my first day, I'm nobody. I'm nothing special." She said, apparently talking about the case wasn't working. The least he could do was give her that much.

"Oh, that's where you're wrong... I think you are very special Lizzie."

_Lizzie_, no one called her Lizzie. "It is Agent Scott." She said cooly.

"I'm going to make you famous, Lizzie." She noticed he ignored her, but decided to ignore him as well.

Damn him and his Lizzie. "Zamani. Tell me about Zamani." She said loudly, clearly becoming flustered with this man.

He smiled at her. "Oh Lizzie, always straight to the point. Don't be so hasty, let's chat."

She was really starting to dislike this man, but decided maybe this was the way to approach him. Giving in to his demands she said, "Fine, what would you like to talk about Reddington?"

"How's your father, Sam?" He questioned, and she tensed again. "I've been worried sick about him."

"How do you know my father?" He laughed softly ignoring her question. "Is that why you've brought me here?" She watched him as his face fell a little. "Do you know my father?" She questioned again hoping to catch some kind of emotion on his face.

"You should go home, Lizzie. Be with your father during this time."

"My father is fine!"

They both quieted and Lizzie became acutely aware that her boyfriend and superior were watching them closely and listening in on everything they said. She needed to get a handle on this situation again.

"You called me here, to talk about this case. So, tell me about Zamani." She said coolly.

He finally conceded. "Within the hour Ranko Zamani will abduct the daughter of U.S. General Daniel Reicher. There'll be a diversion, communication will be lost, and he will take her." And just like that the international criminal was back, not the man who had asked her all these questions.

"How do you know this?"

"Because I got him into the country."

"And I'm suppose to believe you?"

He laughed a hearty laugh, and Liz was taken aback by the sudden change in demeanor. "No of course not!" His laugh grew more and it took all her resolve not to walk over and knock him right out of his chair. "I'm a criminal. Criminals are notorious liars, Agent Scott." He smiled.

_Agent Scott, _that was better.

"But if anyone could give me a second chance , it'll be you Agent Scott. We've both overcome so much. I mean look at you - abandoned by your father, a career criminal. A mother who died of shame, but still here you are. About to make a name for yourself, about to capture Ranko Zamani." Liz had, had enough of this, she wanted away from this man, and fast.

"I told you, _I'm going to make you famous Lizzie._"

#THE BLACKLIST#

She pulled the door open and let it slam shut behind her. She was breathing heavily and she could see the concerned look in Don's eyes that he was trying to mask with this tough persona, but right now she didn't care about any of it. She wanted out of here.

"What the hell have you told him?" She demanded.

"What are you talking about?" Cooper asked.

"How could he know those things? Personal things! About my life, my family! I've never told anyone those things?!" She screamed, rattled to her core about her encounter with this dangerous man.

"Why didn't your fathers record show up when you were vetted?" Ressler questioned her, a look of hurt from her herself not telling him and one of genuine curiosity about the woman in front of him.

She ignored his question and shot back at Cooper. "I think you should send someone to get the girl.'

Don scoffed at her, and she resisted the erg to slap him for the attitude he has given her today. "Sir he's bluffing."

"No, he's establishing value." Liz corrected.

"Look I've been working lead on this case for over 3 years, I know what this man is all about." Ressler snarled, getting frustrated with her.

"Yeah, and where have those 3 years gotten you!?" She watched as he recoiled and a look of hurt flashed across his face along with anger.

"You hauled my here, and asked me for my help, my opinion. Well I'm giving it to you. That girl _will be taken._" She said with finality.

"Excuse me. " With that she walked out, rushing down a corridor she found a railing looking out over the garage and lent on it. She felt like she could puke. The adrenaline from it all was starting to leave her. She felt exhausted from her talk with Reddington and her blow out with Donnie and Cooper. She knew she had acted far from professional, but couldn't find it in her to care.

She was just starting to catch her breath when she heard footsteps behind her and turned around quickly to see Don walking towards her with her coat in his hands.

"Nice show in there."

"Don-..." He cut her off abruptly.

"Better pull it together, Liz, you just called in the Calvary." He whispered to her roughly. He was still mad at her, and he wasn't masking it at all. He didn't call her Liz often. Almost always was she his Lizzie. Her name being able to be shortened in many ways was almost a gift, it helped her read his emotions quite well. Same with his name for her.

"I just need a minute." She whispered looking away from him.

"We don't have a minute, we gotta go." With that he turned and began walking away. He'd already gotten a good few feet before he turned and saw she was still rooted to her spot.

"Agent Scott?" Ressler called out to her. She looked up at him. "We've got to go."

She didn't realize she had begun walking until she heard the car door being slammed closed behind her.

#THE BLACKLIST#

Liz felt relief wash over her when they walked in to the ballet room and General Reicher's daughter was there unharmed.

As they were walking out and getting into the vehicles Ressler gave her a small little secretive smile and she knew that all from before had been forgiven. He had pointed to the middle SUV and she began to walk towards it with Beth in toe. Ressler walked up to them and opened the door letting Liz crawl in and then helping Beth in to the vehicle next as Liz fastened her seat belt. It felt so real. Like they were their own little family getting tucked into their vehicle to go for a ride, but both agents knew it was far from that.

"I'll be in the vehicle up ahead." He pointed to the mic on her hip. "Page if you two need anything." He looked into her eyes softly and then walked away up to his vehicle getting in and it began to drive off. Liz's vehicle following closely behind.

#BLACKLIST#

She didn't know what was happening. One minute they were driving along just fine and the next Donald was out talking to a man and their vehicle was being tipped over and all she could feel was Beth pressed up against her and gun fire going off.

There was a pain in her head and she knew she had a concussion without a doctor telling her so.

"Beth are you okay?!"

"I think so." The little girl whimpered.

The driver called out just as a shot rang through he was killed.

She pulled out her gun and tucked Beth into her side before shooting out one of the windows and taking down two men.

She turned and shot out another window killing another man, her clip was empty and she had just put in a new mag when a voice ahead of her called out and she pointed the gun up in their direction, pulling Beth even more protectively close.

"Don't shoot."

"If you want to save the girl take this and lower your weapon." A gas mask was dangled from the ceiling.

She weighed her options, but ultimately did what she knew was best for Beth. "Beth these men are going to take you now."

"Are they going to hurt me?" She cried.

"No honey they are not going to hurt you! I'm going to find you!" Liz promised.

She grabbed the mask and tucked it on to Beth's face.

"What about you?"

Liz looked up again. "There is only one." She watched as the fingers got closer to one and began to lift Beth up.

"I'm going to find you Beth! I promise!" Liz began to cough as Beth was removed from her grasp and the gas got into her eyes and mouth.

She began to crawl out of the vehicles window just as she saw a man above her with a gun get shot down. She crawled out and saw Ressler shooting at a man with a mask as he ran over and began tipping over barrels of what she assumed was some kind of gas.

She began to shoot at him to as she ran away from what she was sure was about to be an explosion.

"Ressler!" She called out and he got the hint as he saw the flames go up and began to lead rapidly down to the car. She watched him jump over the edge and into the water as she jumped down to take cover just as the blast went off.

She jumped up and ran over to the edge where Beth had been taken and Don had jumped. She watched Don emerge from the water just as the men speed away with Beth.

Don looked up at her to make sure she was alright and was happy to see her standing there with what looked to be mostly unharmed.

Liz looked down at the bracelet that Beth had given her moments ago and felt a pang in her heart.

This was going to be one hell of a ride she thought as she heard sirens and could see lights in the distance coming closer.

She watched as Donnie swam to one of the banks and climbed up onto it. He plopped down onto his back and put his hands over his head, clearly exhausted and upset.

#BLACKLIST#

It took them awhile, but they made it back to the post office. Ressler went straight to the locker room to change and dry up while Liz had other things in mind.

She found herself walking straight up to Reddington's box. He didn't even bother opening his eyes until she started speaking.

"Did you plan this? It's been two hours and your people have not made any demands." She yelled to him as the beeping of the box being opened made it hard to hear.

He looked up at her questionably. "My people? I told you Zamani would take the girl. I told you that was all I knew. This is in your hands now Lizzie."

Him and the damn Lizzie again.

"I need your help with Zamani." She told him.

He sat there as if he was thinking it over. "How about a trade? I'll tell you about Zamani if you tell me about the scar on your wrist." She looked at him with a raised brow and stepped into the box taking a seat by him perched against the desk. "I've noticed that you stroke it."He elaborated.

"There was a fire. I was fourteen."

Donnie had just joined the group up in the viewing room with Cooper and a few others close by. "What's going on?" He asked Cooper.

"Agent Scott is trying to get more out of Reddington about Zamani." He looked at Ressler quickly before directing his eyes back to the box below them.

"How's it going?" He asked him.

"I'm not really sure. She hasn't gotten anything yet. He asked her about a scar on her wrist... Do you know why he would have any interest in that?"

Don shook his head. "No sir. I've asked before, but Liz always said it was just from an accident when she was a teenager."

Cooper nodded as they both directed their attention back to the box.

"Someone tried to hurt you?" Reddington asked and Liz being the profiler that she was automatically sensed the hint of anger in his question. Why would he be angered by someone hurting her, he'd been giving her shit since they first spoke.

"No, not exactly." She let out a puff of air as she rubbed her scar vigorously. Her nerves getting the better of her in being in such close proximity with him.

"May I see it?" He questioned.

Liz hesitated for a minute before slowly letting her arm slide over to show him. He looked at it carefully and she began to feel self conscious. She watched as hurt and anger flared in his eyes but his facial expression stayed the same. She wasn't really sure how he accomplished it, but she was slightly impressed by this man's way of masking his feelings so well.

He nodded as she pulled her arm away from him.

"Do you really think marrying a FBI agent is what you want?"

"Excuse me?"

"Marrying Donald is not going to change your past-." At this all eyes in the control room flew to Agent Ressler whose fist were clenched and jaw hardened as he stared on with cold eyes to the man below.

"You lost your right to talk about family when you abandoned your wife and child on Christmas Eve." She snarled back at him, done playing his games. She watched his face fall for a minute before he went back to his hard exterior.

"We had a deal. Tell me about Zamani and where the girl is. Now."

"You wont find her until you learn to look closer."

"And how do you suggest I do that?" She questioned.

#THE BLACKLIST#

Liz found herself standing next to Donnie drinking her coffee with her arms crossed as Reddington was escorted into the room. He walked straight over to the board with his arms still cuffed together and began looking through the various pictures and newsletters that were posted as everyone else watched on.

"Well at least you know what Zamani looks like." He mocked not taking his eyes off the boards and Liz felt Ressler growl under his breath next to her.

"Oh I haven't seen that guy for years!" Red went on. "Very interesting fellow and completely unrelated to this." He looked at a picture of two men getting out of a car one with an arrow pointing to one. "You're pointing at the wrong guy here." He moved the picture of an explosion over the guy that they had been pointing at and pointed to the other man.

"Hey, you can't-" Ressler tried, but Red just continued on ignoring him.

"Miraslov. They call him the Chemist. Very skilled munitions expert. Quit MIT to work for the Russians. For the past two years he's been a very expensive freelancer." He continued on moving to a different board. "I have no idea what any of this is." He moved on and found something that caught his interest.

"Oh! The German. The Banker, called Reinnard. He's probably moving the money." He put the pictures all together. "You find him, you find the Chemist, you find Zamani." He said as if it were the most simple thing.

"So where does Beth fit into all this?" Liz questioned him.

"I don't know Lizzie, but I'm sure you can figure it out." Red answered smiling at her.

She growled internally at his sweet smile and his use of Lizzie. "He's planning something... The time line suggest one major event... definitely in the city..."

"Don't think like a cop." Red told her and she looked at him incredulously.

"What?" She questioned.

"You think to much like a cop. Cop's are so... useless. They are limited to protocol's." He frowned disapprovingly at her. "Make this personal." Liz nodded looking around the room at the screens and pictures trying to think up something. "What about the girl-"

"Beth." She corrected, and he resisted the urge to smile at her. She was so protective, she would make a great mother one day.

"What do we have on her and her father."

"The General spent some time in Bosnia, near where Zamani grew up, that can't just be a coincidence..." She thought out loud walking up to a screen that had that information on.

She looked up to find a map of Bosnia. "The General and his squad, they bombed a chemical weapons station, hundreds of miles of land were destroyed or irradiated." She paused looking around again and finding a screen that had Zamani's family history. "Zamani's family. They died in the blast, but he, he survived. And now he is dying. And dying makes anyone dangerous..."

"So what does he want before he dies?" Red interjected. She paused to look at him, almost forgetting there were other people in the room. Her and Ressler's eyes connected and he smirked at her with pride. She was going to be an amazing agent.

"Revenge." She said as she carried on. "The General was in charge of the mission that killed Zamani's family, so now he wants revenge."

"And the girl?" Red asked her for the last piece of the puzzle.

"He's going to use Beth to settle the score." She said quietly while looking up at the picture of the General and his little girl.

"Let's get to work!" Cooper boomed out having concluded that meeting. "Good work, Scott." He said before leaving the room and Liz turned to him and nodded.

She turned to Ressler as he walked up to her. "Red gave me an address to his innkeeper. Said he would help us find the Chemist." Liz nodded and they both turned to see Red and Cooper arguing.

"You think we are going to put you up at the Sheraton?" He asked sarcastically.

Reddington laughed. "Not to worry, Harold. The Sheraton isn't my scene."

#THE BLACKLIST#

"I'm gonna head home for the night Donnie." Liz said as she walked up to his desk. He looked up at her and could see how exhausted she was. They had got the Chemist and the Banker, the only one left was Zamani, and there wasn't much more they could do tonight on the case. They knew he wouldn't leave the city, and they knew he wouldn't be caring out his plan at night from the little bit of information that they had gotten from Reddington.

"Okay babe, I'll be right behind you." He said giving her a little smile.

She smiled and left the building making her way home.

#THE BLACKLIST#

Don smiled when he walked through the door, he was happy to be home and away from work for a while. He always found peace in leaving work behind and getting to come home to Lizzie, she was so sweet and innocent and knew nothing about the world he lived in.

That all changed today when Raymond Reddington decided to turn his life upside down. He thought today would be a normal day, Lizzie would go to her first day on her new job and then come home and gush about how much she loved it, he would make her a dinner to celebrate her first day and tell her how proud he was of her, and then maybe he would work up the courage to go upstairs and grab the ring and... Well maybe he wasn't planning on it to be a completely normal day. Either way, this day had been far from normal, and he wondered if it would ever be normal again now.

He hung his coat up and called out for Liz, with no answer. He heard a noise come from the kitchen and walked in there to see what she was up too.

If hearing Reddington this morning look into the camera and say her name wasn't the biggest shock of his day already then the moment he walked into the kitchen and saw Lizzie sitting at the counter with Zamani behind her holding a gun to her head just became it.

His hand automatically went to his belt where his gun was still holstered.

"Ah, ah, ah, Agent Ressler." Zamani called out. "We both know that wouldn't be a good idea for you to do."

Ressler kept his hand on his gun, not moving an inch. "Lizzie." He whispered. She had tears streaming down her face and he thanked whoever was watching over her that he got home when he did.

"Donnie." She whimpered.

"Quite!" Zamani yelled, training his gun on Ressler instead. "Oh, Donnie. You weren't suppose to come home... This changes things." He murmured, tightening his grip on Liz's waist and holding her closer. "Now Lizzie, you're going to have a choice."

"Stop me, and save thousands..." Don listened closely and knew that something big was about to happen here, but he would do all means necessary to keep Liz safe. "Or save only one." Before Liz knew what had happened Zamani had fired his weapon at Don and he had fallen backwards to the floor in a heap, Zamani had pushed her away and was fleeing from the house, she stumbled and fell to the floor from his push and scurried over to Don.

"Don!" She screamed as she saw blood on the floor.

He started coughing and looked at her. "I'm okay, Shh. I'm okay Lizzie." He started sitting up and she looked at him in disbelief as he showed her his arm where the bullet had hit. "It is just a flesh wound." Liz sighed in relief and ran to get the phone calling Cooper and letting him know what had happened as she grabbed a towel and wrapped it tightly around Donnie's arm.

She had underestimated just how crazy of ride this was actually going to be.

#THE BLACKLIST#

Liz stormed into Reddington's hotel room not caring that she looked like a crazy woman. A man broke into her house, punched her and knocked her out, and when she came too was holding a gun to her head and the next second pointing one at her boyfriend and shooting him in the arm. She didn't care how minor of an injury it was, that wasn't the point.

She walked in to find Reddington at the table working a crossword puzzle. "Did you do this?" She demanded.

He looked at her with his mouth gaping open. She looked at herself and had forgotten that her clothes were covered in Donnie's blood from his wound, and she was sure she could feel a bruise on her eye appearing. "Lizzie, what happened?"

"Zamani was in my house! Donnie was shot!"

He pointed his crossword at her. "Calm down and tell me what happened."

"Don't play stupid, you're the only thing connecting us!"

Red was at a lose for words, he may be the only thing connecting them, but he had know idea that Zamani would show up at her house. In fact he was quite angry to find out he had.

"Did he mention anything about the girl or the bomb?" He questioned instead getting straight to the point.

"We are not a team!" She hollered at him.

"Zamani-"

"I'm not your partner!"

"What all did he say Lizzie?"

She threw her arms up frustrated. "I don't know, I was out for the majority of him being there, then Don showed up!" She sighed in frustration, trying to recall the whole encounter. "Something about the Chemist... He thanked me for getting rid of him, and casualties, a lot of them... He talked about you too, he told me you are obsessed with me."

"So the bomb is still in play."

Liz through the lamp that had sat near her on to the floor in anger, "Why the hell was he in my house!? Why do I have a black eye? Why was my boyfriend shot? Why are you here turning my life upside down Reddington?!"

"The truth is Lizzie that despite what you may think, I am not turning your life upside down, I'm helping you."

"Helping me?" She screamed at him in disbelief. "If you were helping me Reddington you would have never turned yourself in, you would have never asked for me. Why did you ask for me? Why am I so damn special to you?"

"How is Donald feeling?" He questioned completely ignoring her.

Before he knew what was happening Liz had grabbed the pen he had been using and jammed it into his neck. "So you're aware I just punched a whole in your carotid artery. Best chance two minutes before you pass out. So listen to me carefully. You are going to tell me how to stop Zamani and save Beth, or I let you die right here. Do you understand?"

Reddington held her hand that was holding the pen in place and seemed amused by this side of her. "Yes, but if I die... You'll never know why I choose you Lizzie."

"If you die I won't have to worry about why you choose me." She hissed before pulling the pen out and slamming it on the table. She stormed out just as quickly as she had in.

#THE BLACKLIST#

To say Cooper and Ressler were unimpressed by her actions was an understatement. Cooper had looked at her in disbelief, but at one point she could have sworn she seen him suppressing a smirk when she was retelling what had happened. Donnie on the other hand was mad. Very mad. He was yelling more than Cooper at this point, and that in itself was making Cooper suppress a smile, although they all knew it was not a laughing matter.

After being told she was under further review by Cooper she left without a second glance at Don and made her way home, she barely got in the door before she heard Don's car pulling up behind her and she knew that his anger had not subsisted by the short drive from work to home, if anything it probably intensified.

She was sitting at the counter nursing a cup of coffee when he walked in the door and she heard him go straight up the stairs. He made his way back down 15 minutes later after what she assumed was a shower and walked into the kitchen grabbing a coffee tumbler and filling it up, she noticed he had on a new suit as well.

"Where are you going?" She questioned him.

"I'm going to babysit Reddington in the hospital because someone decided to go off their rocker and jab a pen into his throat." He hissed.

"Donnie, I-"

"No Liz, if you couldn't handle all this you should have come to me, not gone to Reddington and causing more trouble."

She stared at him in disbelief as he grabbed his things and made his way out the door.

What the hell just happened?

#THE BLACKLIST#

She walked through the halls of the hospital finally spotting Don and a few guards near Reddington's door. She made her way up to Don and saw shock in his eyes when he spotted her.

"What are you doing here?" He questioned once she had gotten closer.

"I need to talk to him." She said pointing to the door.

"You aren't even suppose to be here, you're under formal review, you know that." He hissed back.

"Reddington's not talking, is he?" Ressler shook his head slightly. "That's what I thought. Five minutes."

He rolled his eyes in defeat but nodded towards the door.

"Thank you." She stormed through the door, "Reddington I-..." She paused at the sight of the empty bed. She turned to the empty bathroom and sighed then ran to the open window where she saw the rope leading down. "Dammit." She huffed.

"He's gone!" She yelled at Donald as she moved past him on a mission to get him.

"What do you mean he's-" Donald stopped mid sentence as he walked into the room seeing the window and pulling the rope up. "Fuck." He cursed as he took off running to find the man all the while screaming into his mic.

Liz vaguely heard Don behind her hollering into his mic. She refused the urge to tell him it was no use. No matter how many squads they send after him. If Raymond Reddington didn't want to be found he wouldn't be, but she had the feeling that he wouldn't be gone long. Though that didn't stop her from running towards the elevator where she saw what she knew was Reddington's inside man once he sent a wink in her direction as she ran to the elevator doors just as they closed.

She slammed her hands against the elevator in anger and turned to see Don coming up to her.

"They have someone tracking his chip as we speak. Copper wants us back at the Post Office." He said curtly. She nodded mutely and followed him out of the hospital.

#THE BLACKLIST#

She wasn't sure what was happening. One minute she was on the phone with Reddington and he was asking her all these questions about Zamani's attack at her house. And the next she was sitting with Beth holding her hand watching the minutes tick down on the bomb strapped to her back waiting for Red's man to arrive.

"Did Reddington send you?" She questioned as a man ran up to them. He began to speak in another language. "Look, I can't understand you." She stated, but he just ignored her. "Can you stop the bomb?" She hollered at him and he put his hand up at her to hush and went back to work ignoring her.

"Are we going to be okay?" Beth's sweet innocent voice broke through to her and she looked to the girl and could have cried. Liz bent down in front of her and spoke in a soft soothing tone.

"Yeah baby, we're going to be fine, don't worry." Beth didn't look like she believed her and Liz knew she needed to think of a distraction fast for this little girl. "You know how I gave you my pin to make you brave?" She questioned.

"Yeah! And I gave you the bracelet and poky." She sniffed and Liz smiled bringing her wrist that was still harboring the bracelet on it to show Beth.

"That's right. You wanna see what my Daddy gave to me to make me brave?" Beth nodded. "It's really special, you see I have never shown anyone else before." Liz tucked her sleeve down and showed Beth her scar.

She looked at it curiously, "What does it do?"

"Well when I am feeling scared I just touch it" Beth ran her fingers over it. "And it makes me brave. "It's like magic! Do you think it could make you brave too?" Liz questioned and Beth nodded while tentatively reaching out to run her fingers over the scar.

Liz listened as the beeping of the backpack quickened and felt her heart leap. This was it, they were going to die here. She would never get to say goodbye to her father or Donnie. Beth would never get to grow up and make a name for herself.

She rested her head on Beth's'. "You're a brave girl Beth. Such a brave, brave girl." She whispered. This was it... It was over...

Suddenly the beeping stopped and the man shouted with glee. "Have you done it?" She questioned as he kissed her and Beth's heads. He grabbed the bomb and began running off. Beth jumped into her arms and Lizzie held her tight as she yelled after the man. "Wait!" All while whispering in Beth's hair. "We are okay, baby. You were so brave."

"Consider the device payment for his service." She whirled around at the sound of Red's voice. He hollered something with a wave to the fleeting man.

"You gave him a chemical weapon!" She hollered and pulled Beth closer.

Red laughed like she told a joke. "Yes, he's fascinated by the things. It'll be more use to him than us anyway."

Liz watched as Donnie came running up to them and saw the General in the distance and with one last hug to Beth she put her down and pointed toward her father, Beth followed her direction and her eyes lit up as she took off running after her father.

Red's hands went up in the air over his head as Ressler walked up to him and hancuffed him roughly all the while staring at Liz who had sat down on the bench and was steading her rapid heart beat.

"You okay?" Don questioned her.

She looked at him and nodded, even though she felt the furthest thing from. A few minutes ago she thought her life was ending, and she wasn't really sure how to deal with that.

Don looked at her closely and knew that she was lying, but talking about it further would have to wait. The moment he got the call and was briefed on the situation. The only real think coming through to him was that Liz was with Beth and the bomb and they needed to hurry. Liz was with the bomb.

"As cozy as this is, and as much as I'd love to stay instead of going back to the damned box, I'd rather not sit back and watch you two undress each other with your eyes." Reddington said with a smirk after sitting quietly watching the two stare in the others eyes.

His only response was Don pulling the cuffs tighter and leading him away. Liz and the rest of the team following close behind as they all made their way back to the black site.

#THE BLACKLIST#

Liz lay in bed staring up at the ceiling thinking about the past 38 hours. She woke up in this very bed 38 hours ago with Donnie by her side thinking that this was going to be a new chapter of her life starting her new job. Little did she know it was really going to be a new chapter, just much different from what she had expected.

In the past 38 hours she had been almost killed more than she had ever expected to be in her life, had tracked down an international criminal, been attacked in her own home, lost and saved the sweetest little girl she'd ever met, been formally requested by number four on the FBI's most wanted list, stabbed a pen in to said most wanted's neck, and gone more rounds with Donnie than what she remembered doing in their entire relationship.

She was ready for a long night of sleep after all these events. She had wanted to wait for Donnie, but there had been a meeting he needed to go to for Reddington with Copper, and although she had wondered why she had not been told about it, she decided not to care too much, she was ready to be home and knew Donnie would be following behind sometime soon.

As if summoned by her thoughts she heard their bedroom door creep open and watched as he crawled across the bed and sprawled himself out on top of her resting his weight in his elbows.

He gave her a hint of a smile and placed a loving kiss on the top of her nose. "Hi." He whispered.

She ran her fingers through his tousled blonde hair and gave him a small smile. "Hi baby."

He laid his head flat on her chest and listened as her heart beat loud in his ear, never feeling more grateful for the noise then he was tonight. He'd almost lost her more times than he cared to evaluate on during this case, and each time he got close to losing her he felt his entire body go numb, and his heart beat erratically out of his chest. Hearing her steady heart beat in his ear was his proof that she was here, that he hadn't lost her.

"I'm sorry for everything these past two days." He whispered looking up at her shyly. It wasn't very often he had to do this, seeing as they rarely fought and he wasn't sure what all to say to make up for how he had acted during this case. "This has just been so crazy." He wondered off, no really sure how to put into words what all he wanted to say.

"I know." She whispered.

"When I was at work this morning and got called in and told Reddington was there, I had no idea what to expect." He stated honestly. "And the moment he looked right at me and said your name." He shook his head recalling the moment and the emotions that ran through him. Terror, worry, anger. "Said he would only talk to you. I.. I had no idea what to do with myself. Lizzie, watching you walk up to him and having to sit back while he talked to you the way he did. It took all the restraint I had not to run down there and swoop you up in my arms."

"I'm okay though, Donnie. As much as I love you for caring so much, I can take care of myself some days." She said softly with a little smile dancing on her lips. "It's all over now though babe. We got him, and Reddington is far away from us now where ever they shipped him off too. We can go back to our boring little lives." She laughed and silenced as she watched his face fall.

"It's not over." She gave him a questioning look. "It's as far from over as it could be. Reddington is trying to cut a deal. That meeting with him and Copper. Red is trying to cut an immunity deal, he gets to go about his business all the while helping us catch criminals on this list that he has."

"A list?" She questioned.

"A list of all the people he wants to take down, pretty much. He called it the Blacklist."

"You'd be pretty busy with that. So is he going to get the deal?"

"I don't know. He has a few demands with it that they are over looking, and well just the whole idea. He's been an international criminal for 20 years and we finally have him, it would be like releasing him back out there to go when he wants too."

"But it could lead to catching so many more people though. What could be so bad about his demands that they wouldn't want to take up that offer?"

"He wants a tracking chip in planted in his neck. Two bodyguards off of his choosing list. And uh..." He chose his next words wisely, gauging her reaction.

"He will speak only to you, Lizzie."

**Review, Review, Review! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed :)**


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